Twins
by SenshiAlchemist - Ge Kailin
Summary: Papa looked at her mother with something in his eyes that Sarada couldn't quite describe. It was confusion. It was thoughtfulness. It was thankfulness. It was determination. And not that he said it often, if ever, but it was love, too. It was that moment when, unlike with anyone else she had ever seen, he would give in to Mama being right, as she always was.


**Word Count: **5608**  
>Genre:<strong> Family, Humour**  
>Characters: <strong>The Uchiha bunch, or rather, my version of it.**  
>Pairings: <strong>SasuSaku, NaruHina  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> It's canon, we won, Sasusaku forever muhahah! Anyway. I will be changing my penname this year, probably in February or March. So if I'm lucky enough to be followed or favourited by any of you, don't freak out when someone unknown appears in your inbox in a couple months!  
><strong><br>Disclaimer:** I'm not Kishimoto and I don't own Naruto. I make no profit from this.

**Spoilers:** THIS IS BASED / SET AFTER CHAPTER 700 SO JUST COUNT IT AS SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES!

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><p><strong>TWINS<strong>

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><p>At first she didn't understand it.<p>

Sarada heard several people tell her mother she was glowing even when she wasn't healing anyone. And Papa was home more often, always asking Mama if she needed anything, which would make her squint her eyes at him in her prideful way and clench her fists full of chakra until he backed off with all of his charitable offers and let her clean the kitchen for about the thousandth time to calm down. One time he even surprised her with a sudden and romantic kiss, which made Sarada stick her tongue out in disgust. "Gross!" she thought aloud, interrupting them. At first they were so startled, when they looked at her, she thought she might be in trouble. But then Mama started laughing so hard, and she pulled her daughter into a loving embrace and told her, "You keep thinking that."

"Yes. All your life. _No kissing._" Papa added with narrowed eyes.

"You guys are weird." Sarada responded, squirming out of her mother's hug. She didn't think she'd have any trouble following his orders. Boys were disgusting and dumb. Especially Uzumaki Bolt.

Well, maybe sometimes he was alright. _Sometimes._

After a couple months of this odd behaviour from everyone, she noticed a bump in Mama's belly. She knew better than to ask if her mother was putting on a few pounds and ignored it at first. But when it kept growing, while the rest of Mama's body stayed mostly the same size, one day she finally queried: "Why is your tummy so big, Mama?"

Her mother, busy painting the 'guest' room (that they never used) for whatever reason, wiped sweat and some pink hairs off of her forehead before responding. "Well, I did something forbidden, Sarada."

"Forbidden? Mama what did you do? Was it the kissing? Because you could stop that. I think it would be better for all of us." She wrinkled her nose in repulsion just at the thought. Why were adults so freaky?

Mama laughed and put the paintbrush down. "No, Sarada." She said. Then she knelt real close, to whisper in her ear: "_I swallowed a watermelon seed."_

Sarada's eyes went wide. She could have sworn she had swallowed many in her time, going on picnics with Himawari or during lunch at school. _Don't say anything!_ Her inner voice chided. _If you admit it maybe your belly will get huge too!_

"You… so there's a watermelon growing in your stomach?!" Sarada asked. "Yes; it's going to get very big over the next couple months. Then when it's fully grown I can take it out."

"But… does it hurt?"

Her mother smiled. "No, Sarada. I'm too happy to hurt."

"But… why are you so happy?"

"… Your father and I will talk to you about that, after dinner tonight. Okay?"

"But… okay." She just didn't get it. _Grown-ups are strange. _She thought.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to have <em>brothers?!<em>" Sarada said, completely shocked.

Mama beamed so hard Sarada thought all her teeth might fall out. "Yes, darling."

"When do they get here?"

"In a few months. That's why we've been doing work at home lately. We have to get ready, and so do you." Her mother replied. Papa was quiet, but kept a steady smirk on his face. Were his cheeks flushed? It was getting dark. Maybe she was imagining it. Wait, what did Mama just say?

"What do _I_ have to do? I don't want boys around. Papa is the only boy who's not an idiot or dirty or stupid." Sarada asked. Besides, painting was boring, and she had to study.

Papa's smirk turned into an actual smile, a rare occurrence in the Uchiha household. "Yes. All boys are stupid except for me. Remember that, too."

Mama rolled her eyes and flicked him playfully on the shoulder before turning back to Sarada. "You have to remember you're about to be a sister, and get ready to share your time with four other people instead of just two."

"Oh." None of it made any sense. "But brothers make people sad."

"What on earth are you talking about, Sarada? What about Himawari? She loves her brother very much, as crazy as he is."

"…Not her. When her mother starts talking about Uncle Neji, she's always quiet. And Papa gets angry whenever someone mentions Ita-" She shut her mouth.

Oops. Too late.

Sarada saw her father stiffen, the smile leaving his face. Mama stopped herself from gasping, and the mood in the room changed. Papa slowly started to collect the plates from the table, which was usually Sarada's chore, which meant she was probably getting sent to her room for almost saying the bad name.

Strangely enough, that didn't happen. Mama looked down for a bit, then gave Sarada a tired smile. She pulled her onto her lap, and placed Sarada's hand on her belly. "Mama, what are-"

Suddenly she felt it, Mama's stomach popped against her palm. "What was that?"

"That's one of your brothers, Sarada. They're living in the watermelon as it grows. It keeps them safe."

"Is that why people keep touching you who don't even know you when we're out?" Sarada heard her father turn off the water in the sink. When he came back in the room his teeth were gritted together. _Oh great, I said something else wrong…_ she thought. _Probably the bit about Mama getting touched._ Papa didn't like that, much.

Beads of sweat started to form on her mother's forehead. "Sarada…" Sometimes Sarada messed up what she said. Inojin's mother always said she inherited her mama's foot-in-mouth disease, whatever that meant. Mama didn't seem diseased to her. And her foot was never in her mouth.

"Do you know the reason Hinata and Papa get sad or angry when we talk about their brothers?"

Sarada bit her lip and looked anxiously at Papa. He looked down at the floor with a scowl.

"Because… well…" She didn't know how to explain it.

"It's because they loved their brothers very much, but their brothers passed away." Sarada always knew there was more to the story than that, but she didn't press it. She had heard the stories about Uncle Neji as a war hero, but she never seemed to get a straight answer about Uncle Itachi. It was only by accident she even knew he had existed. "It's not the brothers themselves that made people sad. It was losing them. Remember when Goldie died last year?"

Goldie had been Sarada's goldfish, whom she had named in a pure stroke of brilliance and creativity.

"Yes."

"Well that hurt a lot, didn't it? You still don't talk about it. But do you regret having him?"

"No. I loved Goldie."

"Right. Well it's like that. Only it's a thousand times closer to your heart, when it's people and not pets. So you love more, but it stings more too."

"Oh."

Mama leaned in to whisper in her ear. It was one of Sarada's favourite comforts. "Now go to Papa. He'll tell you the whole story one day, but he's not ready now. His cuts run the deepest."

Sarada never saw Papa with any cuts, Mama always healed them instantly, but she knew what she meant: the cuts were on the inside. She went to her father and hugged his legs, looking up for some reprieve from the guilt of mentioning Itachi. "I'm sorry, Papa. I'll take care of my brothers."

"Hn." he ruffled her hair. Boo, it was never fun when Papa stopped talking. Maybe she could make him laugh.

"I'll be the best sister ever, and you'll love me the most." She gave him a wide grin, showing off the teeth she was missing in the back. Papa looked down at her with the slightest hint of his usual smirk, "Only if you stop stealing my damn tomatoes."

"I didn't…" Sarada pouted her lip. How did he always know? He poked her forehead. "I'll be back." He told her and Mama. Mama nodded. She had the feeling she'd still upset him. He did this sometimes, left without much notice for a few hours, looking full of thoughts and sorrow. She had learned it was best not to fight it, especially not with whining or crying. "Bye, Papa." she said as he waved from the doorway. Mama locked it shut after him.

"You took them again, Sarada? I left you your own bowl in the fridge." Mama crossed her arms. This was not the first time this had happened. It wasn't _her_ fault she liked tomatoes so much.

"Well if there's gonna so much _watermelon_ around, why doesn't Papa start liking that instead!" She said defiantly, putting her hands on her hips. _Then I can eat them all!_

Mama laughed hard, and it echoed into the night.

* * *

><p>By the time the leaves started to change colour and a chill cut through the air, Mama's stomach was <em>huge.<em> It was really odd-looking considering she was such a small person, but she seemed delighted the larger she got. She stayed home from her shifts in the hospital more frequently as the boy's room started to take shape, painted a soft green and filled with cribs, changing tables, and other baby things. After the Harvest Festival at the end of Autumn, she started cramming the winter decorations in, so much so that Papa raised an eyebrow higher every time he re-entered and something new was hung on the wall. "Sakura, do we really need…" he didn't know where to start. The holly and berry clusters hanging from the ceiling? The coloured candle holders on the table? The pine garlands on the banisters? He just shook his head.

"Yes. Just yes." Mama would respond with a giant smile. "Hnn" he would sigh. Then she'd kiss him on the cheek and he'd throw his hands up as if to say, 'whatever' and it wouldn't be mentioned for another few days.

Before Sarada knew it flurries filled the air, and the New Year was fast approaching. Apparently, Mama and Papa were having a party. (Well, _Mama_ was having a party. Papa didn't do that kind of thing.) They told her she could stay up until midnight if she wanted to try, since some of the other children would be there too. "Shaaaaaanarrooooooo!" she hollered upon hearing this news. She loved staying up late and seeing the things she didn't usually see when her parents tucked her in to sleep.

Their home felt a little small with all the people squeezed into it. "Sakura, you're enormous!" Auntie Ino said, sipping a bubbly drink from a thin glass. "You said that yesterday…" Mama said through a clenched jaw. Auntie Ino just laughed her off.

"Can I have some?" Sarada came up and asked, pointing to Auntie Ino's drink. "No Sarada, neither of us can." Mama said. "But it looks so tasty…" she said. Auntie Ino wagged a finger. "Oh but it's not. It's only tasty to grown-ups."

"I can be a grown-up!" Sarada said. "Oh really?" Mama said. "Grown-ups clean the bathroom and unclog the garbage disposal. Perhaps we should change your chores."

"Um… nevermind, I'm not _that_ grown up." Sarada said. Mama chuckled. "The Uchiha can't have this drink right now, little one. Not me, you, Papa, or your brothers. Okay? Actually, other than tonight, most shinobi don't have it at all."

"Alright."

Just then the door slammed open. "Sorry we're laaaaaate-dattebayo!" The Hokage said, right as a fake icicle was knocked off the wall. Bolt exploded from under his feet, tackling Inojin to the ground. Himawari was hiding behind her mother - who entered after the Hokage - holding her hand.

Mama's eyes turned to slits. "Naruto…" she hissed. "Pick. That. Up." she ordered, pointing to the icicle. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Heh heh… alright, Sakura-chan…" he said cautiously.

"_Dobe_." Papa said. Sometimes it seemed like Sarada's parents could say whatever they wanted to the Hokage, like he was afraid of them or something. No, he was definitely afraid of them. Well, at least of Mama, anyway.

"Bolt! Get OFF!" Inojin yelled, though no one came to help him in his plight.

Auntie Hinata pushed Himawari towards Sarada. "Go on and play, dear. I've got to take care of your father and brother." Sarada took Himawari's hand. "Wanna play ninja?" Himawari nodded.

They played for a while in her bedroom, throwing paper shuriken and shouting things like, "Unhand that girl, or I'll make you eat your vegetables!" to imaginary foes or whatever boy was silly enough to try and best them in their fighting. Eventually Himawari's eyes started to close even while she was standing up, and Sarada wrapped her up in a blanket and laid her down on her bed. Searching for new companionship, she left her room and ventured to the massive gathering.

Everyone was weird. All the kids were yawning, even Bolt, and the adults were laughing at things that weren't funny. Their cheeks were flushed even though it wasn't that hot in there, and their eyes looked strange. Even Papa had a different, almost wicked, grin than usual, which took up half of his face. "Sasuke-kun, you didn't have _that_ much sake did you?" Mama asked him. He shook his head, but kept on smirking. Then he actually _stayed_ in the room full of people, which he usually couldn't stand, for a while after, telling Himawari's mother that she deserved better than this loser, pointing to the Hokage. Then the Hokage threw a punch at Papa and missed, hitting his fist against a holly cluster and complaining that he had gotten pricked by the holly leaves-ttebayo. Mama told him he had gotten what he deserved and that she wouldn't help him and he better put that holly cluster back before she pummeled him into the floor, and Papa started to laugh, _laugh_, of all things, and Auntie Ino rolled her eyes-

Suddenly Sarada heard a crash and turned around. Bushy Brows junior was slurring his words, slumped over two chairs from the breakfast bar that he had toppled over, and the sixth Hokage was shouting – "WHO GAVE LEE THE SAKE?!" as four more people came to restrain him, because he was dancing or something, or trying to fight people or… what was he doing?!

There was a great commotion then, and Sarada decided she'd had enough because this party had gotten way out of hand. _Boys are DUMB_. She reminded herself, and went back to her room. Himawari was still sleeping in her bed, but there was more than enough space for her to climb in on the other side. She was curious to think that if maybe Mama was wrong, she could be getting sisters instead, because it would be nice to have another Himawari around to play with. Or two.

The bed was warm and soft, and it made her plumb forget about staying up to the New Year's countdown. Who knew if that would happen anyway, what with the ruckus she was still hearing from the other room. She drifted off wondering why sake, whatever it was, made Bushy Eyebrows Junior knock over furniture and act like a moron yet made Papa laugh so freely, like the wind flying through the trees.

* * *

><p>Two weeks and a couple of new chairs later, Sarada was surprised to find Auntie Hinata waiting for her outside school. The sun shone brightly, but it was still freezing. "Sarada-san! We have to go!" Auntie Hinata said.<p>

She was confused. "Go? Where are Bolt and Himawari?" Was she going over to their house?

"Auntie Temari is looking after them today. We have to go to the hospital. Get your hat and gloves on, please!"

"The hospital?!"

"Yes Sarada-san; your brothers are here!"

Sarada thought that if her eyes went any wider, they might pop out of her head. _Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Brothers!_

It was all happening so fast. Before she knew it she was at the hospital, being shuffled about by different nurses until she found a room where Auntie Ino was squealing over something she couldn't see, Papa was holding Mama's cheek in his hand, looking at her all funny as she sat on the bed, and Mama… Mama's hair was sticking to her face, soaked with what must be sweat because the room was dry, and she had slight bags under her eyes. She was wearing a hospital gown which didn't suit her at all, and she looked so tired… But through all of that, she was the happiest Sarada had ever seen, it was almost like she was… Then Sarada understood. Mama looked terrible and beautiful at the same time – because she was _glowing_.

Everyone turned to her as Auntie Hinata edged her forward into the room. Auntie Ino called her over, and Papa picked her up and carried her to what Auntie Ino had been squealing about, a cart-looking thing waiting behind Mama's bed. "Look." he told her. She looked into the cart-thing and saw two tiny heads atop of two tiny bundles of blankets. Their crowns were covered in peach-fuzz, one black like hers and Papa's, and one pink like Mama's. "These are my brothers? They're so little…" she said.

"You used to be that way too, Sarada." her mother said. "Why don't you wash your hands, and then you can hold them."

Papa carried her to the sink and let her down so she could do as Mama said. Her heart raced with every bubble of foam she created from the soap. Usually she'd clap her hands together to send the foam flying, but she had a feeling this wasn't the time.

After she dried her hands she walked back over to the cart-thing. This time Auntie Ino picked her up and put her on the bed next to Mama, and then Papa took her black-haired brother and handed him to her while Mama took the pink-haired one. "Careful to hold his head, he can't do it himself yet." Auntie Ino said. Sarada looked at how Mama was holding her other brother and imitated it as best she could. "Like this?" she asked, looking at Mama for approval. "Exactly." she answered.

Papa sat down on the bed next to her. "Perfect." he said. She rocked her brother back and forth for a bit, until Mama asked her, "Would you like to hold your other one?"

"Okay." she said. Papa took her raven-haired brother from her and held him while Mama gave her the rose-haired one. After a few more minutes, Sarada realised – "Why do they have blue eyes when Papa and I have dark eyes and Mama has green?" She didn't totally understand where they came from, but she knew she got most of her looks from Papa and figured the boys would do the same.

"All babies have blue eyes at first, Sarada." Auntie Ino answered. Just then Sarada heard a sniffle behind her. She turned her head over her shoulder to see the Hokage standing with his arm against the doorway, a half-smile playing at his lips as Auntie Hinata leaned against his chest. She couldn't tell from so far away, but she could swear his eyes looked moist like he was about to cry. Unlike most times she had seen him, however, he stayed silent. She looked back at Papa, who had also been looking at the Hokage, and he nodded to him, as was Papa's way. Maybe he wasn't such a dobe after all.

A nurse came by then, behind the Hokage. "Nadaime, I'm sorry but visiting hours for non-relatives are ending soon. I'm so sorry Hokage-sama, I don't mean to –"

"Nah, it's alright." He interjected. "I have to get back to work anyway. Come on, Hinata."

"Congratulations, Sarada-san. You're a big sister!" Auntie Hinata said before they left. "Thank you!" she called after them. The nurse came into the room. "Ino-sama, I'm sorry-"

"Yeah, yeah." Auntie Ino waved her off. "I know. I'll be back tomorrow, Forehead!"

"See you later, Ino-pig!" Mama said. She turned to Sarada. "You're going to stay with Grandma and Grandpa tonight, Sarada. They were here earlier, but they left to make sure your room's ready at their house. They'll be back to pick you up soon. Then tomorrow you'll come back and we can probably come home with you. Okay?"

"…I have to leave my brothers?"

"Not yet, but in a few hours. It's only for a little while."

Sarada pursed her lips. Aww. Papa put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't we let them lie down?" he said, and put her brother back in the cart-thing. Sarada tried to do the same, but Mama had to help her when her arms didn't reach all the way. The nurse, who had been checking Mama's vitals, put her mother's chart down. "Congratulations, Sakura-sama." she said with a slight bow. "Thank you, Michiru!" she said.

She still couldn't believe how small they were. Their little arms reached out to play with her fingers, grabbing onto them like they were giant rattles. She stared at them for a long while, as Mama's eyes started to droop. Papa stayed quiet as he usually did, letting the boys grab at his fingers too.

A hospital attendant knocked on the doorway, snapping Mama back awake and Sarada out of her thoughts. "Sorry to disturb you." The round woman with the auburn hair said. "Time to sign the birth certificates." Papa sighed. "Now, what were their names? Have we decided yet?"

Mama and Papa looked at each other. "Well…" Mama started.

"You don't know their names yet?" Sarada asked. Usually Mama and Papa were the most prepared, organised people. She liked to say she didn't even know where her book smarts were from, since both of them were so intelligent. How could they not know?

"We know, we just don't…"

"Agree." Papa finished. _Oh._

Sarada knew people fought. She knew of everything from arguments to school bullies to all-out war. But her parents never seemed to fight. If they did, they kept it discreet. Maybe they just didn't want to do it in front of her. Or maybe they did and she didn't want to notice. Both of them got angry in different ways. Mama could break people in half if she wanted to, and never held back when someone was being a complete idiot, even the Hokage. It came out at all hours of the day, but unless it was directed at Sarada, it was almost funny. Papa's wrath, however, came in sudden, vengeful spurts, and was more frightening than amusing. It lead to broken plates and Sarada hiding under the covers. Usually he would leave afterwards, but thankfully it was very, very rare, and he always came back. Even through all of this, though, their anger never seemed to come out towards each other, so she didn't know how they actually debated anything. Was it through concealment, or the quiet? Perhaps they were the same thing.

She hoped if they were going to fight, it wouldn't be here, over something like her brother's names. "…Can I choose them?" Sarada asked.

Mama was taken aback, and Papa shrugged. "Well, tell us what you think, Sarada."

She smiled and hung her hands over the edge of the cart-thing where her brothers were now sleeping. Who did they look like? She could be like Uncle Sai and name them obvious things… but somehow she knew naming them, "Tiny" and "Little" would be stupid. They would grow and probably be bigger than her one day. And she couldn't name them peach fuzz, because their hair would grow too. Their eyes would change, probably to black or green, and they would throw things and break things and run around driving people crazy as all boys did. She didn't know what to do, but she did know they were the cutest things she'd ever seen, one just like a mini Papa, the other with hair just like Mama, pink like… like the inside of a…

"Suika!" she said, pointing at the watermelon-coloured fuzz on the top of her brother's head.

"Ehh?" both her parents said. "That's where he came from! And his hair looks just like Mama's, like watermelon flesh. Maybe one day his eyes will be green like the rind, too."

"Uhh…" Mama stammered. "What would you name the other?"

Now that was more confusing. Karasu? Kuro? Maybe she should just name him Sasuke, after Papa. He looked like him.

"Please don't say tomato." Her mother said. "It's bad enough you hate when people mistake you as, 'Salad'. We'll end up being a family made of food."

"So, the dobe is named after a part of ramen, for crying out loud." her father said.

"No, not that." she knew what she wanted to name him, but didn't know how Papa would respond. "I was thinking Kuro… or Karasu… from his hair."

"Karasu…" Mama repeated.

"But Papa…" Should she test the waters? "Please don't get mad. What about… Itachi?"

He stiffened again like before. "Sarada…"

"Please? I want you to like that name now."

"…"

"Papa." Sarada moved closer to him. "I know I drive you crazy sometimes."

"Hmph."

"I know I do... Stealing your food. Jumping all over you when you're tired. Asking you to train me when I know you're busy. Constantly following you to try and catch you off guard. But really, I just want you to be happy, all the time, with me, and Mama, even when you hear that name."

His silence was uncomfortable. "You're too smart for your own good, Sarada." he finally responded.

Sarada looked down. She'd been told that before. But somehow this time it didn't feel like praise.

"Karasu… like the crow?" Mama said. "Sasuke-kun. That's a pretty good compromise. I don't know how she knows these things. But it works."

Papa was quiet for a moment. "Karasu…" he murmured.

The attendant asked, "Shall I come back later?"

Sarada had completely forgotten she was there. "No. We need to settle this now." Papa said.

Mama put her hands in the air. "Sasuke-kun, I think our daughter has settled it for us."

Papa looked at her mother with something in his eyes that Sarada couldn't quite describe. It was confusion. It was thoughtfulness. It was thankfulness. It was determination. And not that he said it often, if ever, but it was love, too. It was that moment when, unlike with anyone else she had ever seen, he would give in to Mama being right, as she always was.

"Not Itachi. But Karasu… " He took Sarada's glasses from her and started to clean them with his shirt. "Itachi… your uncle. He liked crows."

It was the first time Papa had ever told her anything about him. Sarada was so overwhelmed, she swallowed hard. "Sasuke-kun." Mama started. "Whatever you want, I'm with you."

Papa pursed his lips for a moment, then put Sarada's glasses back on her head. "Alright." he said. "They're your brothers, after all."

Sarada almost leaped off the bed. "Really, Papa?"

"Suika is alright. And Karasu." He looked at Mama, who had a tear running down her cheek. "Sasuke-kun, they're perfect." Sarada turned to the lady still awkwardly waiting with the birth certificates. "Ma'am, we know what we want!" she said impishly. The lady chuckled. "So I see." she said, handing one certificate to each of her parents. "I have pens." she said, and gave one to each as well.

Papa wrote quickly and purposefully, as with everything he did.

"Damnit…" Mama muttered. "What, Mama?" Sarada asked. "Ah, sorry Sarada. It's just… sometimes I forget, and write Haruno instead when I sign."

"Oh." That was Grandpa and Grandma's name. It was Mama's name too, before. "Can you fix it?"

Mama smiled at her. "I always do."

Then Papa, with wisps of his usual smugness appearing on his face, switched papers with her mother, and they signed again. They handed their papers and pens to the attendant. "I'll finalize these immediately." She said. Mama thanked her as she left.

"When are Grandpa and Grandma getting here?" Mama sighed. "Oh, I'm sure you'll hear them from miles away. You'll know when they arrive."

That she did. Her mother's parents were loud, overbearing, and seemed to want to have tea with everyone in the world. Grandpa was guiltier of this than Grandma, who was always chiding him for something, but Sarada seemed to receive equal attention from her grandmother in terms of their loving, yet cumbersome, affection. When they came to the hospital, she heard them all the way down the hall. Then she was suddenly wrapped up in a hug that squeezed almost all the air out of her lungs and kisses all over her cheeks. "I can't breathe…" she said as her grandfather put her down.

"Look at you, a big sister!" Her grandmother said. "I love how you're keeping your hair like mine. Sakura, when are you going to give her my bangs, too?" she asked.

Mama forced a smile and started to say something before Sarada interrupted. "It just does that, Grandma. We don't do anything to my hair." Her grandmother picked her up and hugged her almost as hard as her grandfather had. The scent of lavender and rosemary washed over Sarada in waves. Grandma always smelled this way. "Well, maybe you should start!" she said. Sarada rolled her eyes so her mother could see, and Mama suppressed a giggle. Grandpa was unsuccessfully trying to chat up Papa, who looked annoyed. Sarada knew he might tear his hair out if this continued. "Grandma… I'm really tired." She said. She wasn't.

"Oh dear, are you? Well, it's been a big day. I'm sure your mother is tired too."

"Yes." Mama said, holding her head.

"Let's go home then, after we say goodbye to your brothers. Kizashi, stop talking the man's ear off. Sarada is needs to sleep."

"We just got here!"

"You'll be here tomorrow, Dad." Mama said. "Ohh, you're no fun, daughter-of-mine. Let me at least say goodbye to the little ones."

Then Sarada, her grandfather, and grandmother crowded around the cart-thing, staring at the napping boys. "Grandpa, I got to name them." Sarada said. "Oh? I thought one was going to be named after me!" he said. Mama's forehead began to sweat. "No, I wanted to name them names that nobody else has." Sarada said. "Maybe Mama can name the next one after you."

"The next one! Oh my word, Sarada…" Her mother shook her head.

"What? They're so cute. Can't you grow more? I can get you more watermelon seeds…"

"Watermelon seeds?" Her grandfather looked utterly bewildered. A blush was creeping up her mother's neck and face. "Uhh, Dad, I told Sarada all about how I did the forbidden thing and swallowed a watermelon seed that the boys grew in."

"Oh, of course. How could I forget?" Grandpa said.

Hmm. Sarada made a note of this interaction in the back of her mind. She didn't get it, but somehow she knew it was important.

"Anyway. That's why I named him Suika." she said, pointing her pink-haired brother. "And this one's Karasu." she said, pointing to the other. Her grandmother raised an eyebrow at that one.

"For his hair." Papa said, looking at Grandma. "Oh." she replied.

"I'm going to be the best sister ever!" Sarada declared. Her grandparents laughed. "I know you will be, honey. Let's go home, now. Let your parents and brothers get some rest." Grandma said.

Sarada touched their peach fuzz one last time before her mother grabbed her and held her close. Mama's embraces never hurt like Grandpa's did. "You picked great names, Sarada. I'm so proud of you." She said. Sarada hugged her back. "Love you, Mama."

"Kazashi, do we have Sarada's things?" Grandma said. She had forgotten in the madness earlier that her winter accessories had been thrown hastily in a chair by the door. She looked through the window as her grandparents draped her in her cloak and warm gloves, and saw that it was snowing. She loved snow.

"Let's go! Before they kick us out for visiting hours anyway." Grandma said. As they walked to the door, Papa laid a hand on her head, and smoothed her hair down. She looked up at him with wanting eyes, wondering if maybe he'd tell her it was a blizzard, which never happened in Konoha, and they were getting snowed in, and she could stay there all night, and he would have a snowball fight with her in the morning... Instead he poked her forehead, as he was want to do, and told her, "I'll see you tomorrow." Then, against all his usual mannerisms, he pulled her into a hug of his own. "And, thank you." He told her.

Sarada beamed. Okay, so it wasn't a snowstorm to end all snowstorms and maybe she couldn't stay all night and antagonize her father with snowballs in the morning. But everything was going to be alright, now. Because tomorrow she'd be home with her family, and her new brothers, trying to teach them all the ways to vex her father as soon as she could. Because Mama could show her how to take care of the twins and she could show everyone just what a good sister she was. Because one day they'd be old enough to come outside with her and taste the snowflakes on their tongues in winter, or much on some watermelon in the summer, careful to avoid the seeds.

And because she knew when Papa said, 'thank you' he really meant, "I love you."

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><p><em>The End<em>

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Well that's my fantasy Uchiha family, folks! I love that they had a kid but it's hard for me to believe that Sasuke and Sakura would only have one child when he's the last of his clan and all. It's also hard for me to believe that Sakura's parents would be totally cool with Sasuke, although I'm sure they accept him enough for Sakura and Sarada's sake. Anywho. Hope you had some good holidays. As I mentioned in the beginning author's notes, I'm changing my penname in probably February or March. Also, if you'd like to check out anything else of mine, chapter fics are at my penname TsukinoSora. Oh, and one last thing - when my Mum was pregnant with me, my Dad totally told my sister that she had swallowed a watermelon seed.

Please leave a review, if you can! It is much appreciated. Happy New Year, everyone!


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